We were up early on Day 2, and back at Xavier’s Rambla for 9.30am. The place was alive with butterflies, many more than the previous afternoon. We spent just under three hours there, walking up the dry riverbed, trying to identify the various Grayling’s and Skipper’s.
Xavier's Rambla
Our guide (Jon Dunn) gets up and close to a Southern Hermit in Xavier's Rambla
Just before lunchtime, we moved on to a scrubby area near Pozondon. We had lunch here, and spent around two hours in total.
Near Pozondon
Our final stop for the day was back near Albarracin, this time by the river. Here we stopped to watch clouds of hundreds of Blue’s and Skipper’s mud puddling.
The day had been sunny and hot, and it was good to get back to the hotel for a shower and a cold drink.
In total, the group saw 57 species, of which I saw 45. And of the 45, there were 5 new species for me, specifically:
Southern Marbled Skipper (carcharodus baeticus)
Sage Skipper (muschampia proto)
Rosy Grizzled Skipper (pyrgus onopordi)
Tree Grayling (hipparchia statilinus)
Southern Hermit (chazara prieuri)
Sage Skipper
Rosy Grizzled Skipper
Tree Grayling
Southern Hermit
Last edited by selbypaul on Wed Jan 01, 2020 4:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The first stop on Day 3 was just up the valley from the village of Noguera. It was a relatively steep sided narrow valley with a stream running through it, and it proved to be an excellent location for butterflies.
Near Noguera 1
Near Noguera 2
On arrival, the first thing we saw were large numbers of Silver Washed and High Brown Fritillaries nectaring on some of the flowers close to the road. It was by far the greatest concentration of these two species that I’d ever seen.
We spent the whole morning in this valley, the highlights for nearly all of us being Iberian Sooty Copper and Mother of Pearl Blue.
After lunch we made two stops in the Sierra Alta area, near the town of Bronchales. The first stop was the peak of Sierra Alta itself, at around 1850 metres above sea level, the highest we reached all week. The second stop was nearby, but lower down.
View from the top of Sierra Alta
In total, the group saw 56 species over the course of the day, of which I saw 49. And of the 49, there were three new species for me, namely:
Iberian Sooty Copper (lycaena bleusei)
Southern Mountain Argus (aricia montensis)
Mother of Pearl Blue (polyommatus nivescens)
The morning of Day 4 was spent in meadows near the village of Moscardon. It was a particularly interesting set of meadows, and so we spent three hours there, including lunch. It was highly productive, and amongst other things, we saw our first False Grayling’s of the week.
The meadow near Moscardon
The biggest spectacle however was the sheer number of Great Banded Grayling’s. I’ve seen perhaps ten or so over the course of a morning at various places elsewhere in Europe. But here you could see 20 or so in the space of a ten second scan of the area around you. There must have been 500+ in the meadow complex overall.
This site also produced the biggest mystery of the holiday, this mystery Chalkhill Blue species.
Either the hybrid lysandra x coerulescens or Provence Chalkhill Blue
At the time, David and I both identified it as a Provence Chalkhill Blue (lysandra hispana). But after the holiday, after doing extensive research, David believes it to be a hybrid between Azure Chalkhill Blue (lysandra caelestissima) and Spanish Chalkhill Blue (lysandra albicans), known as lysandra x coerulescens in the guides. We may know more next August when David returns with the 2020 Greenwings holiday.
After lunch, we moved on to some meadows near the village of El Vallecillo. We spent the whole afternoon here, it was again highly productive.
The meadow near El Vallecillo
In total, across both of the two sites, the group saw 70 species, of which I saw 57. And of the 57, there were five confirmed new species for me, those being:
Panoptes Blue (pseudophilotes panoptes)
Lesser Marbled Fritillary (brenthis ino)
Twin Spot Fritillary (brenthis hecate)
Esper’s Marbled White (melanargia russiae)
False Grayling (arethusana arethusa)
Day 5 saw us travel the longest distance away from Albarracin all week. The first site visited was one where Sandy Grizzled Skipper had been known to fly, near the village of Huelamo. Sadly, we had no luck, despite an hour of trying, and a number of other Skipper’s trying to confuse us!
Scrubby area near the village of Huelamo
The second site was a wooded area near some road junctions, where I spotted a large Skipper which at the time was a mystery, but which has subsequently been identified as a Cinquefoil Skipper (the commonest Skipper of the holiday).
We moved on to a site near Tragacete, where we first had lunch, and then spent a good two hours walking the tracks and meadows. Amongst many other butterflies, including Apollo, we saw our first Zapater’s Ringlet, the main target species of the holiday.
Our lunch stop near Tragacete
Finally we visited Puerto de el Portillo, our second highest peak of the holiday, which was known to have Spanish Argus. After some early misidentifications, we were successful, with a good number seen, in and around its larval host plant.
Puerto de el Portillo
In total, the group saw 61 species over the day, of which I saw 43. And of the 43, there were two new species for me, specifically the aforementioned:
Spanish Argus (aricia morronensis)
Zapater’s Ringlet (erebia zapateri)
Day 6 was the final full day of the week. We returned to the meadows near to the village of El Vallecillo, which we had first visited on the afternoon of Day 4.
We spent the full morning here, with the main target again being Zapater’s Ringlet, for better photos. The group as a whole saw four or five, but they were highly active in the heat, and this was my best photo.
Zapeter's Ringlet
In the afternoon, we visited Ojo de Cabriel, where we saw the first Spanish Purple Hairstreak of the week, amongst other species.
In total, the group saw 79 species in just one day. This is an incredible amount, and by far the largest number in one day of any of the group holidays I’ve been on so far. Of the 79, I saw 55, none of which were new.
Day 7 was the day we had to fly home to the UK. But the flight was in the early evening, so even with a two hour drive, we had a full morning for butterflying.
A slightly later start enabled me to climb the hills above Albarricin and take these photos.
Albarracin from above, View 1
Albarracin from above, View 2
The morning was spent back at Xavier’s Rambla, where we began the holiday. The three hours there sadly didn’t turn up anything definitively new, though David did spot a large mystery skipper.
Final view of Xavier's Rambla
In total, the group saw 38 species on the day, of which I saw 37, none of which were new to me.
The grand total for the whole holiday was 103 species, of which I saw 95. 19 of the 95 were new species for me, a very high amount given my six previous dedicated butterfly spotting holiday’s, including the previous one to the Spanish Pyrenees. This is testament to the area being so good for endemics and near endemics.
Of the 8 species I missed out on, I have 7 either before or since elsewhere, so I only really dipped out on Provencal Fritillary (melitaea deione).
Whilst my dedicated butterfly spotting holidays for the year were over, I still had an eight day trip to Italy planned in the second week of September 2019, with three separate locations. The first location was two days in Venice.
View from the Rialto Bridge, Venice
Ponte della Paglia, Venice
I wasn’t expecting to see much, butterfly wise, but had wondered if I might see Geranium Bronze (cacyreus marshalli) given the amount of Pelargonium plants there are in window boxes.
I wasn’t disappointed, with this one landing on me whilst I had lunch in one of the squares!
Finally, a Geranium Bronze
I know it is an introduced species to Europe, from South Africa, and indeed many see it as a pest. But having dipped out on seeing it on at least five previous attempts to see it, I was very pleased.
The second Italy location was my most anticipated. It was a return to the Dolomites, to the same hotel as I had visited on my 2016 Naturetrek tour.
At a different time of year though, two months later, and cooler, so I was not expecting many butterflies at all. I was mainly there for the scenery and views, which in themselves did not disappoint.
Day 1 of the four I spent in the Dolomites was really just a half day, having only arrived at the hotel at 2pm. On the way, I stopped at Lago di Carezza to take in the views, but it was pretty chilly so only a Brown Argus was seen.
Lago di Carezza
After arriving at the hotel I walked from the village of Tamion slightly down the valley. Not much was around, but the Autumn Crocuses were beautiful, and I did see a Queen of Spain Fritillary.
Wow, you don't mess about when you get started, Paul. I struggled to keep up there!
The last Greece report was extremely interesting...I must dive in there very soon; that habitat looks glorious.
Of course, I am more than familiar with the Montes Universales trip, and certainly the lycaenid you posted looks neither like a Spanish Chalkhill Blue nor an Azure. At some point I'll get round to visiting this region earlier in the year which may give a clue to the identity of these 'halfway house' Blues.
By the way, I think your 'Southern Marbled Skipper' is actually a Mallow Skipper. I remember catching a single specimen of baeticus at the site near Pozondon and releasing it in front of the group. Unfortunately (and entirely due to my fault) I released it in a sheltered little area which contained many other butterflies. Dogfights ensued and the skipper that actually came back to the area immediately in front of us was alceae, which is what you've got there (and what I got as I was standing behind you all when the insect settled on a grass blade).
David M wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 9:51 pm
Wow, you don't mess about when you get started, Paul. I struggled to keep up there!
The last Greece report was extremely interesting...I must dive in there very soon; that habitat looks glorious.
Of course, I am more than familiar with the Montes Universales trip, and certainly the lycaenid you posted looks neither like a Spanish Chalkhill Blue nor an Azure. At some point I'll get round to visiting this region earlier in the year which may give a clue to the identity of these 'halfway house' Blues.
By the way, I think your 'Southern Marbled Skipper' is actually a Mallow Skipper. I remember catching a single specimen of baeticus at the site near Pozondon and releasing it in front of the group. Unfortunately (and entirely due to my fault) I released it in a sheltered little area which contained many other butterflies. Dogfights ensued and the skipper that actually came back to the area immediately in front of us was alceae, which is what you've got there (and what I got as I was standing behind you all when the insect settled on a grass blade).
Thanks David. You definitely need to visit Greece, it really is superb. And thanks for the correction on the Mallow Skipper. I remember that now! I'll make this and two other corrections to the diary I need to make when I'm finished. Just four more posts to go!
Day 2 in the Dolomites was a return to the Sella Pass, which had been so stunning back in July 2016. The weather was equally beautiful this day, even being so high up it still reached around 20 degrees at midday.
Sella Pass View 1
Sella Pass View 2
And there were some butterflies too, a selection of mostly tatty Ringlet species, plus a Mountain Fritillary. Despite posting the pictures on the UK Butterfly Forum at the time, I’m still not sure about the ID on them. Let me know if you have any idea!
Day 3 in the Dolomites was a cable car up to Rosengarten from Vigo di Fassa, followed by a walk to Gardeccia and back.
View from the Rosengarten cable car station
View at Gardeccia
I did see a larger Fritillary that looked different from Queen of Spain, but it was flying quickly, so I couldn’t identify it. Also seen were Water Ringlet and Common Brassy Ringlet.
The Water Ringlet (erebia pronoe) was a brand new species for me!
The final half day in the Dolomites was not really a proper day, as we had to leave early in the morning. But I did stop off near to the hamlet of Halser, halfway back to Bolzano where I was catching the train. Here I saw a number of lowland species in the scrub, including Silver Studded Blue.
The onward journey was to the third and final location of my holiday in Italy, Lake Garda, specifically based in Limone sul Garda. Here’s the wonderful view from the hotel when we arrived at 4pm.
Day 1 at Lake Garda was spent catching the ferry to Malcesne, followed by a cable car up to the top of Monte Baldo.
View from the top of Monte Baldo
View from the Malcesne to Limone ferry
I had wondered if I might see Ottoman Brassy Ringlet, which has a very isolated colony here, but it was very late in the season, so no luck. I did see Chalkhill Blue, Clouded Yellow, and Queen of Spain Fritillary though, amongst a number of other common butterflies.
Day 2 at Lake Garda was spent relaxing in the hotel, reading in the sunshine. Incredibly, a Two-Tailed Pascha landed right close to my sunbed, long enough for me to identify it, but sadly not long enough to photograph it.
I also had a stroll around the olive groves at the back of the hotel, and saw Swallowtail, more Geranium Bronze, and a Great Banded Grayling.
However there was a further mystery butterfly, a big black one that I chased down a road for over two minutes. It sadly didn’t stop, and I suspect it might have been a Dryad (minois dryas), which would have been a new species for me. But it will forever remain a mystery sadly.
So that brings me to the end of my European butterfly adventures so far. It is 11 years since my first conscious sighting of that first non-UK butterfly, the Long Tailed Blue in Tuscany in Italy. And it is three and half years since my first dedicated trip to the Italian Dolomites.
Since then I’ve been on further dedicated butterfly spotting holidays to Croatia, the Spanish Pyrenees, Southern Greece, Switzerland, Northern Greece and Central Spain. Of the current official list of 459 European butterfly species, I’ve seen 243, leaving 214 left to see, excluding the two (Madeiran Large White and Brown’s Grayling) that are presumed to be extinct.
I’m booked on two holidays in 2020, which I hope will be confirmed as definitely running soon. One is to the Central Italian Alps with a company called Greentours. The other is a two week holiday to Bulgaria, North Greece and North Macedonia with a company called Wild Echo. If they do run as scheduled, based on previous tour reports, my expectation is that I will see up to 62 new species in total, over the two trips. (The reality is I’ll most likely see somewhere between 25 and 40 new species, as not all species are seen each year).
But assuming I see the maximum possible number of new species in 2020, I’ve analysed where the remaining 152 species can be seen, in order to optimise my efforts to see them in future years. The analysis is quite interesting, with most being species restricted to only a very few places in Europe:
• 42 can be seen in Spain – Either specialist species of the Sierra Nevada, Picos de Europa and the Pyrenees, or early Spring butterflies not seen on any/most of the currently advertised organised butterfly holidays;
• 17 are endemic (or near endemic) to the Canary Islands;
• 2 are endemic to Madeira;
• 2 are endemic to the Azores;
• 12 are endemic (or near endemic) to Sardinia and/or Corsica;
• 8 are endemic (or near endemic) to Cyprus;
• 5 are endemic (or near endemic) to Crete;
• 22 are endemic (or near endemic) to Scandinavia;
• 1 is endemic to Ireland;
• 19 are endemic (or near endemic) to the Greek mainland or the Greek Islands;
• 2 are endemic to Sicily;
• 3 are endemic (or near endemic) to Romania;
• 5 are endemic to Italy;
• 12 can be seen only in the Alps, (Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria or Slovenia)
The above clearly gives an idea of where my butterfly holidays will need to be focused from 2021 onwards.
Spain (probably three or four trips), the Canary Islands, Corsica/Sardinia, Cyprus, Crete and the Alps (a number of trips) would potentially tick off another 96 species.
Six specific trips to Madeira, the Azores, Ireland, Sicily, Romania and Italy would allow me to see 15 more species. (A lot of trips for very few new species, albeit in some special places).
But the really difficult pockets of species are the 41 species of Scandinavia, Greece and the Greek Islands. Scandinavia is a big place, underexplored, with only localised small pockets of most of the species, even if widely distributed. The weather in summer is also highly variable, and I’ve read that some of the species can sometimes even skip a summer if the weather is poor enough. With the Greek species, much of the problem is the fact that each species is located on only one (or very few) islands, requiring some sort of bespoke island hopping trip. That and the mainland species I still need to see are extremely rare, local, and scattered across pretty much the whole mainland!
What does all this mean? Mainly that I probably only have three or four holidays left, after 2020, where I rack up more than 10 new species in a week. And that, if I really want to complete my European butterfly species list, I’m going to have to be making huge efforts over a further 10 to 20 years!
In reality, I’ve never much been a “lister.” If you go back to my very original post in this thread, when I started this diary, I pointed out that it is the places you visit, by looking for butterflies, that is so special. Wild, mainly unspoiled places, flower rich meadows, stunning scenery.
So I suspect I’ll never complete the full list. Indeed I can’t really imagine ever making such huge efforts on the Greek Islands or Scandinavia. Perhaps I’ll reach something like 400 out of the 459 European species? If I did, I would have seen some very special places, and made myself very happy in the process.
And actually, what probably interests me even more, is the conservation of some of the species. Land use in Europe is changing rapidly. Old traditional farming practices and wildflower rich meadows are being wiped out in many parts of eastern Europe by modern practices. Conversely, in many other areas, across the whole of Europe, agriculture is being completely abandoned, and scrub growth will eventually turn flower rich wildflower meadows into secondary forest. Climate change isn’t helping either, with some very localised species having nowhere to go as their habitat becomes unsuitable.
What also interests me is educating other people about all these conservation issues, using butterflies as the medium for that education. I’ve been very lucky to have shared my holidays with some truly excellent guides, who have taught me lots, not just about butterflies. Maybe one day I’ll consider trying my hand at guiding?
We shall see. This final post for now is simply pondering on an uncertain medium and long term future. Both for European butterfly species and for me.
Anyhow, in the short term, I’m looking forward to my two holidays in 2020, and you can be sure to read about them here, when I return from them.
Wonderful effort, Paul. I didn't think you'd be able to write all this up in such a relatively short space of time and it's taken me a while to fully catch up given the speed with which you've finished things lately.
I particularly like your summary at the end, some of which I've commented on below (hope you don't mind):
selbypaul wrote: ↑Wed Jan 01, 2020 3:18 pm...42 can be seen in Spain – Either specialist species of the Sierra Nevada, Picos de Europa and the Pyrenees, or early Spring butterflies not seen on any/most of the currently advertised organised butterfly holidays
Doesn't this just prove how attractive Spain is for butterflies? I really had my eyes opened when I first visited in 2018 and they have widened ever since
...In reality, I’ve never much been a “lister.” If you go back to my very original post in this thread, when I started this diary, I pointed out that it is the places you visit, by looking for butterflies, that is so special. Wild, mainly unspoiled places, flower rich meadows, stunning scenery.
It's impossible not to do at least a mental list, because otherwise you don't remember what you've seen or what's new. However, as you say, the sheer beauty of the (often largely ignored) landscapes/habitats where butterflies are commonly found trumps all else. Who needs Prozac when you have an alpine meadow full of insects on a warm, summer morning?
...And actually, what probably interests me even more, is the conservation of some of the species. Land use in Europe is changing rapidly. Old traditional farming practices and wildflower rich meadows are being wiped out in many parts of eastern Europe by modern practices. Conversely, in many other areas, across the whole of Europe, agriculture is being completely abandoned, and scrub growth will eventually turn flower rich wildflower meadows into secondary forest. Climate change isn’t helping either, with some very localised species having nowhere to go as their habitat becomes unsuitable.
Yes. This, for me, was something that developed unintentionally alongside my enthusiasm for butterflying on the Continent. Knowledge of different climates, land use, agricultural practices, etc gave me a greater understanding of the issues that affect butterflies and how difficult it can often be to formulate plans to conserve them. That's why I joined EBG and decided to learn more.
...Anyhow, in the short term, I’m looking forward to my two holidays in 2020, and you can be sure to read about them here, when I return from them.
I've really enjoyed writing the diary actually. When going through some of my old photos from 2016 and 2017, taken before I became an "amateur expert" at identification, it turns out I had photos of two species I hadn't realised I had seen, plus another two I'd seen at earlier dates than I had realised.
So it has been a labour of love!
In many respects the diary wasn't written for people like you - no offence!!! I know how much you know and appreciate European butterflies and the habitats they live in. But I'm amazed when I meet some UK butterfly enthusiasts just how little they know about European butterflies. Indeed I count myself as one of those people pre-2016.
So I hope readers of the diary will be enthused by the scenery and the possibilities. Whether they decide to plan their own holidays, or they book with companies such as Greenwings, Naturetrek, or the other companies that offer organised tours, I cannot encourage people enough. They will be shocked at the comparable paucity of the best UK sites. They will enjoy sunshine, good food, great company with likeminded enthusiasts, and expert advice from guides like yourself.
Finally, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of the threats to some European butterfly species posed by all the threats I mentioned in my previous post, and other threats too.
Ratzer's Ringlet, such a rare species in a limited area on the Swiss/Italian border, threatened by climate change and collectors.
Piedmont Anomalous Blue, found in only a couple of Italian valley's, threatened by scrub encroachment.
Chelmos Blue and Odd Spot Blue, such very rare species now in a very small area of Greece, probably on the road to extinction in Europe due to collection.
Danube Clouded Yellow, extinct in most European countries already, and probably on its way out of Romania and Poland soon too, as agricultural practices continue to intensify (or land abandoned).
Canary Large White, found now only properly now on La Palma, extinct on Gomera, and probably soon to be extinct on Tenerife. Likely to be down to introduced disease from the main Large White species, the suspected reason for the Madeiran Large White going extinct.
I could go on, listing some of the many species undergoing rapid decline in both abundance and range. But I don't want to depress people. The thing I want to focus on is the importance of research, hard work, and habitat restoration on a landscape scale. The declines can be stopped and even reversed. But it needs more interested people, doing more research, doing more work, donating more money.
selbypaul wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2020 6:03 pm..In many respects the diary wasn't written for people like you - no offence!!! I know how much you know and appreciate European butterflies and the habitats they live in. But I'm amazed when I meet some UK butterfly enthusiasts just how little they know about European butterflies. Indeed I count myself as one of those people pre-2016.
None taken, Paul. Your diary is different to other trip reports (my own included) which largely focus on the butterflies. You have concentrated a good deal on the overall experience, which is fundamentally the most important thing of all.
I think a lot of people are a bit intimidated by travelling to the continent to look for butterflies. My early trips were easy because they were to France, where I used to live whilst at university (and of course it helps to know the language). Things might have been different had I not been in that position.
In addition, there are quite a few who would prefer not to be part of a group. I was like this myself in the beginning, and it was only when I saw Roger Gibbons' name down as Chief Guide in the French Alps in 2014 that I decided to take the plunge.
Like you rightly say, these trips introduce you to like minded people and plenty of sets of eyes. You DO actually see much more as part of a group because others find things that you have not seen yourself.
..They will be shocked at the comparable paucity of the best UK sites.
.
Absolutely. There are as many species flying along a 1km forest track by the hotel in Rimplas in the French Alps in early July as there are in the whole of the UK (I think we actually hit 70 on one trip). Again, this might be too much for some especially as the majority will be species not found in Britain.
I'd agree with your own comments that people should still give it a try, either on their own or as part of a group. Once you've dived in it's very hard to get out!
